Coin-controlled mechanism for vending machines



Nov. 5, 1929. w. H. AVERILL 4 1,734,191

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR VENDIND MACHINES Filed 00tl7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l $4M //////////////////////m \u Nov. 5 1929. w. H. AVERILL com CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR VENDIND MACHINES Filed 001;. 17', 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 5, 1929 H. AVEEILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOP TO JOSEPH POLLAK TOOL AND STAMPING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES Application filed October 17, 1928. Serial No. 313,029.

The invention relates to a vending machine which includes a holder adapted to receive and permit a downward movement of a column of articles of merchandise, a coin chute, coin-controlled mechanism for releasing the lower article when the machine is operated by a customer after the insertion of a coin in the chute, and a delivery tray adapted to receive the released article and permit its removal by the customer.

The object of the invention is to provide a vending machine having improved means for accurately letting off only a predetermined number of articles at each operation, and utilizing the delivery tray as an element of the coin-controlled let-01f mechanism.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine composed of a plurality of independent units, each embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figure 2, showing different stages of the operation.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section on line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure .7 is a view similar to Figure 6, showing a different stage of the operation.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the holding-down member shown by Figure 5.

.Figure 9 is a fragmentary section on line 99 of Figure 5. 7

Figures 1-0, 11, 12, and 13 are perspective views, showing separately various elements hereinafter described.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 15 designates the'casing of the machine, which, as shown by Figure 1, includes a plurality of units, each adapted to be independently operated. The units are alike, so that the following description of one will suilice for all.

The casing contains a holder, designated by 16, and preferably inclined, the holder being adapted to receive and permit downward movement of acolumn of articles 18, which, in this instance, are of cylindrical form, although articles of any form adapting them to be assembled in acolumn and slide downward, in a holder which is either inclined or substantially vertical, may be vended by the machine.

A coin chute designated by 19 (Figure 3) is located beside the lower portion ,of the holder and extends downward from a coinreceiving slot 20, in the front of the. casing, to a coin box (not shown) in the lower portion of the casing. One vertical side of the chute may be formed by a partition 21 (F igures 3, 9 and 13), and the opposite vertical side by a plate 22.

The chute has an upwardly facing coinguiding lower edge 23, provided with a hump 24, formed to raise a coin 25 pushed over it, as hereinafter described, the peripherycf the coin bearing on said guiding edge.

The machine includes a coin-controlled coin pushing, article let-0E and article delivering mechanism organized as next described, and adapted to release the lowest article and deliver the same outside the easmg. Said mechanism includes a primary lever 26, fulcrumecl in the lower portion of the casing by means of an eye 27 on the lower end of the lever, and a rod 28 fixed in the casing. The lever 26 is normally held upright, as shown by Figures 2, 5 and 6, by a spring 29,

.which may be arranged as shown by Figure 6, a portion of the spring being coiled on the rod 28.

The primary lever is provided with a coin pusher 30 (Figure 12) projecting from one of its ends into the coin chute, above the guiding edge 23, through a slot 31in the partition 21. The pusher 30 is adapted to bear on the periphery of the coin 25, and cooperate with the hump 24 in raising the coin edgewise to the position shown by Figure 4.

A tray 32 is fixed to the lever 26 and projects forward therefrom through an opening 33 in the front of the casing. 34 designates a lower detent pivoted in the casing, preferably by the trunnions 35, shown by Figure 10, one of said trunnions being ournaled in the partition 21, and the other in another like partition not shown. The detent 34 is adapted to oscillate between the positions shown by Figures 2 and 4, its free edge projecting into the holder 16. When the holder is in the arresting position shown'by Figure 5-, its end portions bear on stops 36, one of which is shown by Figures 5' and 13, the

detent engaging the lowest article 18.

A portion of the detent is now in the path of the coin 18, and is-adapted to be raised by the passage of the coin over the hump 24, so that the detent is displaced, as shown by Figure 4, and caused to release the lowest article, which drops into the inwardly pushed tray 32. After the coin passesover the hump 24, it drops into a coin box and releases the detent '36, which immediately drops and '5'20 arrests the next higher article, as shown .by

Figure 7, the engagement ofsaid article with i thedetent being ensured by a deflecting stop 38 in the lower portion of the holder29.

1 39 designates a secondary lever, fulcrumed at 132 in the casing behind the holder, and

including a longer arm, loosely connected with the primary lever 26 by a hook 40, fixed to the.latter, anda slot 41 (Figure 11) recei-ving said hook, the slotbeing formed in an extension of the longer arm of the secondary lever. The shorter arm of thesecondary lever is provided with an upper detent'42, which is movable in a slot in the backof the holder 16, and is adapted to arresta higher :article,.as shown by Figures 4 and 7, when the lowest article is released.

The tray 32 is normally held by thespring .29,-projected from the casing and is manually q -movahle by a customer, partly into-the casing, :as-shown by Figure 4, the tray being thus located :in position to receivean article released from the holder. 7

, *Whena coin is inserted in the chute, it is (:15 atifirst arrested in the depressed portion of the'guiding edge 23, as shown by Figure 5.

The u'ser then pushes the'tray and the pri- -;mary lever 26 inward, thereby'causing the coin to displace the lower detent34, whichis thus caused to. release the lowest. article.

Whenithe coin reaches the position shown by Figure 4, it is free to drop from the hump 24 :and rollinto acoin box. 7

Thearrangement of'the lower detent 34-is 155 such that its free edge moves in the arc of a circle and projects into the holder to a limited extent only suflicient to enable it to cooperate with: the deflectingstop 28 in supporting the -lowest article. The upward movement 160 of the detent causes it to first slightly raise Im-- the lowest article,- and then release it. mediat'ely after the release of the coin from "the hump 24, the free'end of the detent engages the-next higher article while the latter 5 is descending, and cooperates with the delever 26 are adapted to be moved by an 1nward pressure on the tray, to, cause. the .described operation, andthat when the tray is released after said operation, it is automatically projected to reset the mechanism-and permit the-removal of a dropped article.

To prevent upward displacement-of *they lower .detent 34 by a wire or other instrumentality inserted in the casing, I-provide a resilient holding-down member 44 Figure 8) attached at 45 to one side ofthe coin chute below the guiding edge 23, and provided at its upper end with a'holding-down ear' '46,'which normally bears on the. upperside of the detent 34, and prevents the detentfromrising,

. and with a cam-shaped ear 47.projectinginto the path 01- the coin 25, the arrangement'v being such that the coin, in 'moving' fromythe position shown by Figure 5to'thatfshown by Figure 4, displaces'the'member'44, as :indicated .dotted lines in Figure-9,30 that-the lower detent is, free to :be raised by thecoin.-' I claim: 1. A vending machine comprising a casing containing an article holder adapted-to receive and. permit downward -movement-ofa column of articles,-aiida coin chute"located' beside the holder, and a coin-controlled coinpushing, article let-off, anda coin controlled mechanism 'adapted'to push a coin infthe chute, let-off articles one by one fromfthe holder, and deliver a released article at the" front of the casing,.said mechanismincludi'ng a lever movable under the 'holder'and provided with a coin pusher projecting .into .the chute,'-a spring normally maintaining" the lever in a starting positiomand a tray fixed to the lever, and normally projected thereby from the front of the casing.

2. A vending machine comprising a casing containing an article holder adaptedto-re' ceive and permit downwardmovement;-ofa

columnof articles, and a 'coin'chute located beside the holder, and a coinecontrolled-coinpushing,.article let-ofi, and a coin-controlled mechanism adapted to push a-coin -in',the

chute,let off articles one by one :tromjtheholder, and deliver a'released'article' at the front of the casing, said mechanism including a lever movable underthe-holder and provided with a coin-pusher-projecting into thefchute, a spring normallym'aintaining the lever in a starting position, and a tray fixed to the lever, and normally projected thereby from the front of the casing, the chute being formed to upwardly guide a coin pushed therein by the coin-pusher, and a detent adapted to arrest the lowest article in the holder, and to be displaced by an upward movement of a coin in the chute to release said article.

3. A vending machine comprising a casing containing an article holder adapted to receive and permit downward movement of a column of articles, and a coin chute located beside the holder and having an upwardly facing coin-guiding lower edge provided with an upwardly projecting hump, formed to raise a coin pushed over it and a combined coin-controlled coin-pushing article let off, and article-delivering mechanism adapted to release the lowest article and deliver the same outside the casing, said mechanism including a spring-pressed normally upright primary lever fulcrumed in the lower portion of the casing below the holder, and provided with a coin-pusher projecting into the coin chute,

above the coin-guiding edge thereof, and adapted to cooperate with said hump in raising and releasing a coin, a tray fixed to the lever and projecting forward therefrom through an opening in the front of the casing, a lower detent pivoted in the casing and having an oscillatory free edge, adapted to engage the lowest article in the holder, a portion of said detent being in the path of a coin raised in the chute and adapted to be upwardly displaced by the raised coin and cause the detent to release the lowest article and permit it to drop into the tray, said detent being adapted to return to its arresting position and arrest the next higher article, when the coin is released, and a secondary lever fulcrumed in the casing and havinga longer arm connected with the primary lever, and a shorter arm provided with an upper detent adapted to arrest a higher article in the holder, when the lowest article is released, the tray and primary lever being manually movable inwardly, and automatically movable outwardly, when released.

4. A vending machine as specified by claim 2, comprising also a resilient holding-down member, fixed at one end to a wall of the coin chute, and provided with a holding-down ear, adapted to normally engage and prevent displacement of said detent, and with a camshaped ear projecting into the path of a coin in the chute, said member being displaceable' by the coin, to release the detent.

In testimony whereof I have eflixed my signature.

WILLIAM H. AVERILL. 

